Cup dispenser



Jan; 31, 1928.

H. CARLE CUP, DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 13, 1925 H. CARLEJam 31,1928.

CUP DISPENSER Filed June 13, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 31,1928.

UNI-TED STATES PATENT o FFIcE.

HARGLD CABLE, or BUFFALO, new YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ,vonrnx Mrs. 00., orCHICAGO, rumors, A coiaronn'rroiv or ILLINOIS.

CUP DISPENSER.

Application filed June 13, 1925. Serial N0. 36,771.

This invention relates especially to apparatus for dispensing conicalpaper cups one by one from a column or magazine of nested cups, and theobject of the invention is to provide a simple and practicalconstruction of dispenser, one not apt to get out of order and whichwill dispense the cups with commendable efficiency.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope ofthe application of'which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the inventionreference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the ac companying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dispenser embodying the invention,partly broken away to disclose interior parts.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of certain portions of the interior ofthe dispenser looking at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating one of thegrippers and its actuating mechanism-in detail.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section of a portion of the dispenser showingthe cup supporting ring, in plan, and

Figure 5 illustrates a detail.

As shown on the drawings:

Referring now more specifically to the drawings it may be stated thatthe con struction herein described involves improvements over thedispenser shown in applicants Patent No. 1,472,584, dated Octo ber 30,1923. I Like the dispenser of the former application, the presentdispenser includes a frame or plate 1 having an upstanding fiange 2 inwhich is held the lower end of a glass dome 3 closed at its upper end,suitable rods 6 upstanding from the frame 1 and serving to guide acolumn of nested conical paper cups 7 into position on a cup support 8.The upper ends of the guide rods 6 are braced by an annulus 9. Byremoving the dome a column of nested cups may be readily insertedthrough the annulus 9 to rest upon the support 8.

Thereupon the dome may be replaced and the apparatus is ready fordispensing the cups. The dome 3 is preferably of a diameter greater thanthat of the cups so as to permit the cups to freely gravitate toward thesupport 8, the cups being guided by loose contact, if any, with theguide rods 6.

The cup gripping and drawing mechanism is enclosed within a casing 10depending on all sides from the frame plate 1, and

closed at its bottom except for anzopening.

opposite ends of a yoke shaped rigid bracket 15, in which are supportedshafts 16, 17 and 18, the shafts16 and 17 being each provided withrotatable gripper actuating members,

as the cranks 19, and 20'. To the shaft 18 is ailirzcd a hand crank 21having a handle 22, the hand crank and handle being outside the casing10- in convenient position for actuation by the user. In the presentembodiment the cranks 19 and 20 are rotated in synchronism in oppositedirectionsand to this end the shafts 16 and 17 are equipped with spurgears 23 and 24, and the shaft 18 with a spur gear 25 meshing with thegear 24. The gear 23 is driven from the gear 24 through the idler spurgears26 and .27 which may be journaled on the bracket 15. A pawl 28 maybe employed to prevent rotation of the spur gear 25 in but onedirection. Any suitable part of the dispenser, as for instance the frame1, may be provided with means for convenientlyattaching it to a wall,table, or the like, in position to permit the cups to gravitate towardthe cup support 8,

The cups to be dispensed have conical walls and maybe made of paper soas to be flexible and resilient. Also in the embodiment illustratedtheupper edges, or lips, of the cups are each in a single plane and areunprovided with flanges. With this construction, similar cups nestedtogether form a column of nestedoups' and the open edges, or lips, 29and 30 of adjacent cups are quite close to each other. For drawing thecups one by one from the column of nested cups there is employed a pairof grippers, the body portions or bases of which are indieated by thenumeral 31. These bases may be of metal transversely curved to conformto the circumferential curvature of the cup, and inclined to the axis ofthe column of cups so as to be substantially parallel to the outsidelateral wall ol the cup when in gripping relation to the latter. Eachgripper is equipped with a soft frictional cup gripping face. which facemay be provided by soft rubber material 32 overlying the base 31 andconforming in shape thereto.

The grippers coope ate with each other to grip and to draw the cups fromthe column of nested cups and from the support 8, and in the presentembodiment the grippers are supported for movement on opposite sides ofthe cup path by rigid arms 33 pivoted at 34: on stationary axes tooscillate, or swing, transversely of the cup path and the longitudinalaxis of the column of cups. The munerals 35 indicate gripper carryingmembers, as the cylindrical rods with which the grippers move, the rods35 being reci rocally slidable in relatively stationary guides, or eyes36, on the arms 33, transversely of the pivotal axes 3-1, the rods 35being also oseillatahle and adapted to swing with the arms 33 around thepivotal axes 34, but being stationary relative to said arms in theiroscillatory movement around said axes. The gripper carrying members 35are coupled to the gripper actuating members, or cranks, 19 and 20respectively, which latter upon rotation, oscillate the arms 33 and therods 35 around the pivotal axes 3 t to etl'ect cup-gripping andcup-releasing movements of the grippers and also effect reciprocalmovement of the rods 35 on the arms 33 to efl'ect cup drawing. In thepresent embodiment this coupling is eflected by crank pins 37 on thecranks 19 and 20, which pins engage slots 38 in rigid parts 39, whichparts move with the rods 35 and also with the grippers and may beconsidered a part of either. The numerals 4-0 indicate springs adaptedresiliently to transmit gripping thrust from the gripper :u'tuatingmembers l9 and 20 to the gripper carrying membars 33:), these springs,in the present embodiment, lying in chamhersin the grip ier bodyextensions 39 and being operativcly interposed between the cranks 19 and2t) and of rods 35. one end of each spring abutting the end of thechamber remote from the crank pin 37.

Assuming a column of nested cups to rest upon the cup support 8 asbefore explained, the operation may be briefly set forth as follows. Byturning the crank .21 the sott frictional gripping faces 32 will movetoward the outer surface of the lateral wall of the end, or bottom cup,of the column and said cup will he gripped between said frictionalfaces. Continued movement of the cranks 19 and 20 will cause thegrippers simultaneously to move in directions away from the support 8:nd the end cup will be drawn through the support. and from the nextadjacent cup of the column. Upon further movement of? the cranks l!) and$20. the grippers will eventually separate and permit the drawn cup tofall therefrom through the opening 11 in the bottom oi the casing, andthe lip 12 will cooperate to arrest the cup in this opening with its endin position to be conveniently grasped.

In the present embodiment the support for the colunm of cups consists ofa plurality of rigid fingers 41, being integral parts of a thin flatmetal ring 42, which is stationarily mounted on the frame 1 as indiatedat 8, Figure 1. The fingers -11 are circumiterentially spaced apart soas to con tact with the outer lateral all of the end cup of the columnand thereby contact and support the column at several pointscircumferentially of the end cup, so that when the end cup is drawn fromthe column its conical wall may flex into the space between adjacentfingers 11 so as to ease the withdrawal movement of the end cup. Asillustrated, the fingers 41 are so disposed as to contact with theconical wall of the cup closely adjacent the edge, or lip 29, of thelowermost cup. The cup contacting ends of the fingers are thinlongitudinally oi. the column so as to permit the end cup to be drawnfrom the column and leave the conical wall of the next adjacent cuplying across the corners of the fingers formed by the flat upper facesof the fingers and the edges thereof. 'lhese flat upper faces of thefingers are the near faces thereof in that they are the tacos presentedto the approach mg cups. These faces are also in planes substantiallynormal to the longitudinal axis of the column. The fingers 41 projectinwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the column of cups and haverounded edecs presenting their convexitics toward the cups.

Tn dispensing thin paper flexible conical cups. it is sometimesdiliicull to grip the conical surl acc so as to cfl'ectivcly draw thecup in a direction from the mouth. or lip to the bottom, or apex. Thetendency of the grippers is rather to part from the conical surl'aceupon the initial drawing movcnu-nt. Hence, it is desirable to detach thecup as quickly as possible from the supporting finll. and to this endthese fingers are inadc quite thin as explained so that the cup willhave but a very short movement before being completely separated fromthe fingers. This is not only desirable where the grippers arefrictional, but it is especially important when the cups are of materialsuch as paper,

different Ill Eli

which will yield or may be marred by too strong a grip or by gripperfaces which might deface or otherwise injure the cup. By rounding theedges of the fingers as explained, the cup can flex uniformly withoutassuming sharp angles circumferentiall-y, and there is therefore lesstendency to develop resistence to drawing movement as otherwise might bethe case did the flexing take place around asharp or rather abruptshoulder, which latter might thereupon indent the cup so as to tend tomar its surface as well as restrain its movement; By providingflatsurfaces for the inner faces of the fingers, the conical wall of thecup may lie across the edge or corner hereinbefore referred to and yetbe free from restraint above this face, so that the cups can uniformlygravitate and seat themselves in succession upon the fingers and are'notobstructed by the edges of the cups at their greatest diametercontacting with other lateral wall parts of the dispenser. Byinterposing the springs 40,the cup to be drawn is gripped with resilienteffect, and these springs will act to slightly advance the gripperstoward the cup in the drawing operation, should the cup wall yieldunduly, or should the grippcrs slip axially of the cup. Thus thegrippers are maintained in Contact with the cup during the drawingoperation.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by theprior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. Adispenser for cups of the character described including, incombination, a support for a column of nested cups, a pair of cupgrippers having soft, frictional cup gripping faces, supported formovement on opposite sides of the cup path, and crank means, adapted tocause movements of said grippers toward the outer surface of the lateralwall of the endmost cup of said column and movement of the gripperssimultaneously from said support thereby to grasp said endmost cup anddraw the same from said column, including rigid arms pivoted onstationary axes for oscillation transverse ly of the longitudinal axisof said column, and gripper carrying members oscillatable with saidarms, stationary relative to said arms in their oscillatory movementaround said axes, and slidable on said arms for cup drawing andreciprocal movements transversely of said axes.

2. A dispenser for cups of the character described including, incombination, a support for a column of nested cups, a pair of cupgrippers having soft, frictional cup gripping faces, supported formovement on opposite sides ofthe cup path, means, adapted to causemovements of said grippers toward the outer surface of thelateral wallof the endmost cup of said column and movement of the gripperssimultaneously from said support thereby to grasp said endmost cup anddraw the same from said column, including rigidarms pivoted onstationary axes for oscillation transversely of the longitudinal axis ofsaid column, gripper earrying members oscillatable with said arms,stationary relative to said arms in their oscillatory movement aroundsaid axes, and guided on said arms for cup drawing and reciprocalmovements transversely of said axes, and rotatable gripper actuatingmemhers coupled to said carrying members to effect oscillation of saidarms and reciprocal movements of said carrying members on said arms. a

3. A dispenser for cups of the character described including, incombination, a sup portfor a column of nested cups, a pair of cupgrippers having soft, frictional cup gripping faces, supported formovement/on opposite sidesof the cup path, means, adapted to causemovements of said grippers toward the outer surface of the lateral wallof the endmost cup of said column and movement of the gripperssimultaneously from said support thereby to grasp said end most cup anddraw the same from said column, including rigid arms pivoted on stationary axes for oscillation transversely of the longitudinal axis ofsaid column, gripper carrying members oscillatable with said arms,stationary relative to said arms in their oscillatory movement aroundsaid axes, and guided on said arms for cup drawing and reciprocalmovements transversely of said axes, rotatable gripper actuating memhers coupled to said carrying members to effect oscillation of said armsand reciprocal movements of said carrying members on said arms, andsprings adapted resiliently to transmit gripping thrust from saidactuating members to said carrying members.

4:. A dispenser for cups of the character described including, incombination, a support for a column of nested cups, a pair of cupgrippers having soft, frictional cup gripping faces, supported formovement on oppositesides of the cup path, means, adapted to causemovements of said grippers toward the outer surface of the lateral wallof the endmost cup of said column and movement of the gripperssimultaneously from said support thereby to grasp said endmost cup anddraw the same from said column, including rigid arms pivoted onstationary axes for oscillation transversely of the longitudinal axis ofsaid column, gripper carrying members oscillatable with said arms,stationary relative to said arms in their oscillatory movement aroundsaid axes,

and guided on said arms for cup drawing and reciprocal movementstransversely of said axes, rotatable gripper actuating members coupledto said carrying members to eii'ect oscillation of said arms andreciprocal movements of said carrying members on said arms, and springsinterposed between said actuating members and said carrying membersadapted resiliently to transmit gripping thrust from said actuatingmembers to said carrying members.

5. A dispenser for cups of the character described including, incombination, a plurality of circumferentially spaced rigid fingersadapted to contact with the outer lateral wall or the end cup of acolumn of nested conical cups and thereby support the column with theend cup exposed in position to be gripped, the cup contacting ends ofsaid fingers being thin longitudinally of said column so as to permitthe end cup to be drawn from the column and leave the conical wall ofthe next adjacent cup lying across the corners of said lingers, a pairof cup grippers having soft, frictional cup gripping faces, supportedfor movement on opposite sides of the cup path, means, adapted to causemovements of said grippers toward the outer surface of the lateral wallof the endmost cup of said column and movement of the gripperssimultaneously from said support thereby to grasp said endmost cup anddraw the same from said column, including rigid arms pivoted onstationary axes for oscillation transversely of the longitudinal axis ofsaid column, gripper carrying members oscillatable with said arms,stationary relative to said arms in their oscillatory movement aroundsaid axes, and guided on said arms for cup drawing and reciprocalmovements transversely of sald axes, rotatable gripper actuating memberscoupled to said carrying members to ell'ect oscillation of said arms,and reciprocal movements of said carrying members on said arms, andsprings adapted resiliently to transmit gripping thrust from saidactuating members to said carrying members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HAROLD CABLE.

